Users would spend more time looking through the memes of popular users (like they don't already), meaning unpopular users would be far less noticed than they are. And new users would have a really rough time.

A. Find an ImgFlipper whose work you enjoy.
B. Upvote and/or Comment on their meme.
C. When you want to know what they have posted recently, go to your Profile page and look under "Likes" or "Comments".
D. Find their name/meme/comment and click through to that meme.
E. Click on their name (above one of their comments) to go to their Profile page
F. Click on "Submissions -See All", then hit "Latest"...